SWNOVELXO Chapter 135: Artificial Collapse
"Do you know my sister?" Seele finally asked as they walked towards the core of the bubble universe. She had a feeling Ren knew Bronya.
After experiencing this world-saving game with Ren, Seele, ever innocent and kind, no longer held the same reservations towards him. In her eyes, there were still more good people in the world. Besides, Ren had single-handedly saved this bubble universe; he couldn't possibly be a bad guy.
"Hmm, how should I put this? We've met once, but she doesn't seem to have a very good impression of me." That was an understatement. Anyone with common sense wouldn't think fondly of someone who beat them up.
Seele, misunderstanding, quickly explained, "That's not it! My sister… she has trouble expressing her feelings, so she comes across as cold. She's a good person, really. If you got to know her, you'd definitely become friends."
Ren's eyes narrowed slightly, then widened in mock surprise. "Is that so? I thought she hated me. I was quite upset about it. But I was rather rude… She must still be angry."
"Bronya wouldn't hold a grudge. If you genuinely want to be friends, I can explain things to her."
"That would be wonderful. Oh, since you're her sister, I should give you a little something." Ren produced a small crystal. Upon seeing it, Veliona stirred within Seele.
It was a pseudo-core of the Gem of Serenity, created with the Herrscher of the Void powers Ren borrowed from Kiana, combined with his own. A single-use item.
"This is…?" The crystal was beautiful, but Seele was confused.
"Just a stone I picked up on my travels. I thought you, Seele, might know what to do with it." He was hinting. Seele's outer persona might be clueless, but the one born from the Herrscher of Death Stigmata surely wouldn't be.
Seele, take it! With this, we might be able to open the Sea of Quanta and return to reality with Bronya!
Hearing it involved her sister, Seele accepted the gift, despite her shyness.
"I should give you something in return." She searched her pockets, but she had nothing of value. Everything she'd brought into the Sea of Quanta had long since been annihilated. She herself only persisted due to her quantum state.
Hmph, just take it. We can figure out a gift later, once we're back in the real world.
"But that's not right!"
"Hmm?" Ren tilted his head, looking at Seele curiously as she talked to herself.
Flustered, 14-year-old Seele removed the butterfly hairpin from her hair and offered it to Ren.
After the small exchange, they reached the center of the bubble universe. The First Herrscher core should have been there, but they were too late. Even if Bronya hadn't taken it yet, Welt would have moved it.
The flow of time accelerated. Ren touched the central pillar. Light shot through the sky, opening a rift in the world.
"Seele, it seems we must part ways. I wish you luck in finding your sister."
"Thank you, Mr. Kindred."
Kindred (千珏, Not literal translation, just use Lol hero Name) was the alias Ren used in this bubble universe. He was using Kosma's appearance in the Sea of Quanta, but using Kosma's name with Kiana felt wrong. He used the alias to avoid revealing his true identity to Seele.
The light faded, and silence returned.
Thanks to Ren's intervention, this bubble universe would persist for a few more centuries, enough time for Kiana to live a full life. That was all he could do. This world was too fragile; its ultimate fate was beyond his control.
Back in the Sea of Quanta, Ren realized that ten years in the bubble universe equated to roughly an hour outside.
"Good." He could still sense the Gem of Desire. Kevin hadn't reached it yet.
Tucking the butterfly hairpin into his pocket, Ren focused on the Gem's location. His experience retrieving Himeko from Imaginary space made pinpointing its position, even in the chaotic Sea of Quanta, relatively easy.
Shortly after he left the area, a powerful energy surge erupted.
Tlaloc, repelled earlier, had returned. As Kevin's servant, it was tasked with retrieving the First Herrscher core.
But without Welt's permission, it could only wait like Seele, unable to enter the bubble universe. It had located the core and was lying in wait.
Veliona had also made a deal with Kevin. But now that Ren had given Seele the pseudo-core, Veliona was unlikely to uphold her end of the bargain.
The energy surge indicated that Bronya was nearing the core.
Regardless, Bronya becoming the Herrscher of Reason was a certainty. Even missing one trial, Welt would have to make do.
Someone had hijacked his bubble universes. He had bigger problems than the trials.
If he kept delaying, not only would he lose the Gem of Desire, but Kevin might escape.
The return of World Serpent would be a disaster. Welt had no choice.
…
Navigating the Sea of Quanta, swarming with Quantum Shadows and interference from shattered worlds, wasn't easy.
Since no one was watching, Ren fully unleashed Kosma's power. Threads spread, forming grotesque tentacles. His human form shifted, transforming into his Artificial Collapse state.
This form was far more suited to the Sea of Quanta. The rampaging tentacles tore through the Quantum Shadows, absorbing their energy.
Ren stored the energy within Seele's hairpin. One reason he'd chosen a Vishap Puppet for the Sea of Quanta was its ability to withstand quantum corruption. He was gambling on Seele using the pseudo-core. If she did, he could steal a portion of her quantum attributes and use the absorbed energy to quantize this body.
Hours later, he reached the Gem of Desire.
The good news: it was still there. The bad news: it was very close to where Kevin was sealed.